U-type and column-orthogonal designs for computer experiments

U-type designs and orthogonal Latin hypercube designs (OLHDs) have been used extensively for performing computer experiments. Both have good spaced filling properties in one-dimension. U-type designs may not have low correlations among the main effects, quadratic effects and two-factor interactions. On the other hand, OLHDs are hard to be found due to their large number of levels for each factor. Recently, alternative classes of U-type designs with zero or low correlations among the effects of interest appear in the literature. In this paper, we present new classes of U-type or quantitative \(3\) -orthogonal designs for computer experiments. The proposed designs are constructed by combining known combinatorial structures and they have their main effects pairwise orthogonal, orthogonal to the mean effect, and orthogonal to both quadratic effects and two-factor interactions.     

Parametric decomposition of the input-oriented Malmquist productivity index: with an application to Greek aquaculture

Using a stochastic frontier approach and a translog input distance function, this paper implements the input-oriented Malmquist productivity index to a sample of Greek aquaculture farms. It is decomposed into the effects of technical efficiency change, scale efficiency change, input-mix and, technical change, which is further attributed to neutral, output- and input-induced shifts of the frontier. Implementable expressions for the aforementioned components are obtained using a discrete changes-approach that is consistent with the usual discrete-form data. Empirical findings indicate that the productivity of the farms in the sample increased during the period 1995–1999 and it was shaped up primarily by the input mix-effect and technical change.     

Did the euro give us a break in inflation?

The introduction of the euro was accompanied by promises of lower inflation rates; however, the public feels that inflation increased when the euro was introduced. Officials admit that certain sectors experienced substantial price increases, but they claim that the overall inflation rate did not increase. This paper investigates whether inflation in 15 European countries experienced a structural break after the euro was introduced using new powerful and serial correlation robust test statistics. We find evidence that the European Monetary Union (EMU) countries experienced a positive break in inflation after 1999. Our results demonstrate that inflation just after the introduction of the euro was higher relative to the inflation just prior to the introduction of the euro. Additionally, we find no evidence of positive breaks for the non-EMU countries when the euro was introduced.     

Nominal uncertainty and inflation: The role of European union membership

We provide evidence that higher inflation uncertainty leads to higher inflation in the new European Union (EU) member states and candidate countries only prior to EU accession. During EU accession and entry, inflation uncertainty has no effect on mean inflation.     

Supply-Driven Input-Output Multipliers

The paper raises and discusses issues related to the derivation, behaviour and characteristics of input-output multipliers where the exogenous changes are not assumed in elements of final demand but in total outputs of sectors and commodities. These multipliers are more appropriate for use in impact analysis of policies which influence farm outputs, than the traditional final demand multipliers. The paper estimates also such “supply-driven” multipliers for 16 farm commodities of US agriculture. The empirical analysis shows that despite the variability in the multipliers' values, two rather solid groups of commodities which feel the strongest impacts of different crop and livestock output changes respectively, can be found. Several commodities are common to both groups, verifying also the significance of some indirect linkages between farm and non-farm commodities. However, the final demand sectors absorb the largest part of the initial exogenous change itself.     

Generalized method of moments and present value tests of the consumption-capital asset pricing model under transactions costs: evidence from the UK stock market

In this paper we test for the inclusion of the bid–ask spread in the consumption CAPM, in the UK stock market over the time period of 1980–2000. Two econometric models are used: first, Fisher’s (in J Appl Econometrics 9:S71–S94, 1994) asset pricing model is estimated by GMM. We obtain plausible values of all the structural parameters and transactions costs. We subsequently test the robustness of our results by extending the VAR approach proposed by Campbell and Shiller (in Rev Financ Stud 1:195–228, 1988). This is achieved with the inclusion of the normalised bid–ask spread as an independent variable in the pricing equation. Overall, the statistical tests are unable to reject the bid–ask spread as an independent explanatory variable in the C-CAPM. In addition, in the VAR specification we find that both the normalised and the absolute bid–ask spread is a significant predictor of the dividend to price ratio. The paper’s main conclusion is that transaction costs should be included in asset pricing models, as they possess independent explanatory power.      

Why do firms cross-list? International evidence from the US market

Using a modified international asset-pricing model we find strong evidence that publicly quoted firms cross-list when exhibiting strong performance in their domestic market and wish to take advantage of this situation. After cross-listing, this advantage disappears. Our sample consists of daily data for 1165 firms from 47 countries that have cross-listed on the US equity markets over the period 1976–2007. Within the context of this model we provide tests of the validity of the main hypotheses of capital market segmentation and investor protection, which provide explanations for equity cross-listing and investigate whether the nature of the market (regulated or unregulated) and the accompanying legal framework (common or civil law) can account for the impact of cross-listing on returns. Supporting the segmentation hypothesis, we report a decrease in local market risk after cross-listing. However, we find that the magnitude of such a decrease is diminishing over time as international markets become more integrated. On the other hand, we do not find any change in the global market risk after cross-listing, except for firms that cross-listed between 2001 and 2007, where their exposure to international market risk decreases. Furthermore, we find no evidence to support the investor protection hypothesis.     

Innovation diffusion with generation substitution effects

Markets of high technology products and services, such as telecommunications, are described by fast technological changes and rapid generational substitutions. Since the conventional modeling approaches that are based on diffusion models do not usually incorporate this important aspect into their formulations, the accuracy of the provided forecasts is consequently affected. The work presented in this paper is concerned with the development of a methodology for describing innovation diffusion, in the context of generation substitution. For this purpose, a dynamic diffusion model is developed and evaluated, based on the assumption that the saturation level of the market does not remain constant throughout the diffusion process but is affected by the diffusion of its descendant generation, as soon as the latter is introduced into the market. In contradiction to the conventional diffusion models, which assume static saturation levels, the proposed approach incorporates the effects of generation substitution and develops a diffusion model with a dynamic ceiling. The importance of such an approach is especially significant for markets characterized by rapid technological and generational changes. Evaluation of the proposed methodology was performed over 2G and 3G historical data and for a number of European countries, providing quite accurate estimation and forecasting results, along with important information regarding the rate of generation substitution.     

Accountability and fiscal equalization

A common feature of multi-jurisdictional systems is equalization programs. The implementation of such programs, that is based on some measurement of sub-national fiscal capacity and effort, is particularly complex. Within a political economy model, this paper analyzes the impact of such systems on accountability, identifying a positive and a negative effect. The positive effect arises because with equalized fiscal resources, a consequence of equalization, citizens attach more importance to any remaining variation in public good supplies and so punish rent-taking more severely. This induces politicians to restrain themselves and so accountability improves. The negative effect arises because the complexity of such programs reduces the informational content of observed public good supplies. This introduces a perverse fiscal incentive that reduces accountability. Thus, the overall impact of equalization programs on accountability depends on the balance of these effects.